"Gamecock wants YOU to vote in the human American presidential election," said Mike Wilson, Gamecock Media Group's Grand Champeen and CEO. "And, perhaps more importantly, to check out Hail to the Chimp's candidates and get involved in the first ever presidential election for the new animal republic!"

Gamecock Media Group Supports Rock the Vote With CockTheVote.us!

Non-Partisan Site Promotes Voter Registration to Video Game Audience and Offers Comic Relief With Party Game Hail to the Chimp's Animalistic Approach to the Political Process; Campaign Bus in Los Angeles for Super Tuesday

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 5, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Fired up and ready to go! Today video game publisher, Gamecock Media Group, announced the launch of CockTheVote.us, a site aimed at video gamers to promote voter registration using its special brand of animalistic political humor. Their GRRNews.com campaign bus will be traveling around Los Angeles all day today for Super Tuesday.

"Gamecock wants YOU to vote in the human American presidential election," said Mike Wilson, Gamecock Media Group's Grand Champeen and CEO. "And, perhaps more importantly, to check out Hail to the Chimp's candidates and get involved in the first ever presidential election for the new animal republic!"

Gamecock has been on the campaign trail adding some humor to the intensity of the election process and hoping to inspire the vote in the process. With a cast of furry animal candidates from its upcoming politically charged party game, Hail to the Chimp, Gamecock has partied with Rock the Vote at the Iowa Caucus, and, most recently, visited with the University of South Carolina and their newspaper, The Daily Gamecock, at the South Carolina Primary. Today, the cast of candidates will be bringing their message to Los Angeles.

Mike continued, "Our original intent was to join the campaign trail with Hail to the Chimp to provide much-needed comic relief from the election season. And, now that Colbert's not running, we thought we'd better focus our attention on those who are. However, our meeting with Rock the Vote inspired us to use our gaming muscle to energize people in the election process. Thus was born, CockTheVote.us."

CockTheVote.us will include an embedded widget where gamers can register to vote. The site will also feature campaign trail video clips and images of Hail to the Chimp's giant, furry-costumed animal candidates — from Crackers the monkey to Hedwig the polar bear. Woodchuck Chumley, Hail to the Chimp's animal kingdom woodchuck newscaster, will be on assignment, and even a cock-masked Gamecock or two will make an appearance.

Created by Wideload Games, Hail to the Chimp is a fast-paced party game that delivers exciting gameplay, lush interactive environments, and a comic look at politics. It is a bare-knuckled fight to win the crown of President of the animals. The Hail to the Chimp ballot now boasts ten candidates, each with their own personality, platforms and style. Just like any political race, mud is being slung, names are being named, alliances are being made and broken, and the candidates are clawing up the ladder to reach that golden seat.

Earlier today Gamecock announced that their annual mini-con, EIEIO, was moving from California to Texas to coincide with South By Southwest. While the company only has only brought two titles to market so far, they have a ton in the wings. Here's how things official stand with their upcoming games, from Mushrooms to Insects:

Pirates Vs Ninjas Dodgeball XBLA - Feb
Insecticide DS - 2/26
Insecticide Episodes 1 & 2 (Downloadable PC Episodic) - March and April
Hail to the Chimp - May
Mushroom Men:Rise of the Fungi DS - June
Legendary PC Next Gen Consoles - Summer
Mushroom Men:The Spore Wars Wii - Fall
Sabotage 360/PC - Fall
Dungeon Hero 360/PC - Spring 09
Section 8 Next Gen Console/PC - Summer 09

Woodchuck Chumley and Crackers the Chimp (who looks suspiciously like a current, high-level politician, will be on location at the Iowa Caucus Thursday covering the latest news for "GRRNews.com". The live coverage also coincides with the launch of the game's official site.

Publisher Gamecock promises that the team of crack cosplay reporters will be delivering election polls, gossip, stock tips and interviews with candidates. Man, I hope they have a camera recording when they go for their first interview with a real politician. I can't wait to see the look on Hilary Clinton's or Mike Huckabee's expression when faced with a grown man dressed up as a Woodchuck wearing a fake hair piece and carrying a live microphone. If bullets aren't involved it should be priceless.

Wideload's "Hail To The Chimp" Uses Hands, Paws, Flippers And Hooves To Embrace Democracy

The Debate is on as 10 Quirky Candidates Take Center Stage in the Animal Kingdom's Presidential Race

Cockpit, Austin, TX - November 9, 2007 - Today Gamecock announced the entire roster of candidates in Wideload Games upcoming politically charged party title "Hail to the Chimp." The "Hail to the Chimp" ballot now boasts ten candidates, each with their own personality, platforms and style. Just like any political race, mud is being slung, names are being named and the candidates are clawing up the ladder to reach that golden seat.

"Hail to the Chimp" is a fast-paced party game that delivers exciting gameplay, lush interactive environments, and a comic look at politics. It is a bare-knuckled fight to win the crown of President of the animals.

"The story of 'Hail to the Chimp' is delivered through a metaphor of the election process," said Wideload founder Alex Seropian. "The ten candidates in the game have their own back stories, and there are rivalries between the candidates and opportunities to team up and make alliances."

Seropian continued, "It's all there - the flawed electoral system, the political back-stabbing, the self-possessed newscasters and pundits, fundraising with the fat cats and even the inane political ads. There will also be lots of subtle, and not so subtle, political humor."

"Hail to the Chimp" features a wide variety of arenas as well as myriad goal oriented match types. The title is scheduled for release in Spring 2008 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PlayStation®3 Computer Entertainment System.

Below is a brief introduction to the candidates and what their goals are in this political campaign.

Name: Ptolemy
Species: Hippo
Hails from: Egypt
Bio: Ptolemy lives in a world where the 1970's never stopped. With a unique style and charisma by the truckload, this happenin' Hippo wants to return Hippos (more directly, himself) to the top of the Animal Kingdom.

Name: Santo
Species: Armadillo
Hails from: New Mexico, US
Bio: Born in the deserts of New Mexico, Santo was a painter before he joined the campaign. He thinks politicians and artists have a lot in common - prima donnas and shysters, the lot of them - and he's here to keep it real.

Name: Crackers
Species: Monkey
Hails from: Congo
Bio: Crackers was the right-hand monkey to the King Lion before he was ousted from the throne. Rumor has it that Crackers' whole campaign is a ruse designed to restore his old boss to the throne, ensuring a cushy lifestyle for his favorite monkey.

Name: Toshiro
Species: Octopus
Hails from: Japan
Bio: A samurai octopus, Toshiro's logic is simple - most of the world is water and therefore ocean-based animals are the dominant life form. A highly trained warrior and scholar, Toshiro's campaign is as elegant as it is ruthless.

Name: Bean
Species: Sloth
Hails from: Seattle, WA (by way of Bogota, Columbia)
Bio: Bean is your atypical sloth - super caffeinated, uber-motivated and ready to work the kingdom into shape. A coffee addict, she once lived in Bogota but found herself on a coffee shipment to Seattle where she is now an aerobics instructor.

Name: Moxie
Species: Musk Ox
Hails from: Liverpool, England
Bio: Moxie is a self-educated Musk Ox who is sick of the patriarchal nature of politics. Why can't there be a Queendom? Her personal charisma, self-motivation and erudition make her a formidable candidate.

Name: Hedwig
Species: Polar Bear
Hails from: Uppsala, Sweden
Bio: A singing superstar in the disco world, Hedwig is used to the public eye. She's convinced that the animal kingdom would best be served by someone with a celebrity's understanding of looking good, manipulating the press, and product endorsement.

Name: Murgatroyd
Species: Jellyfish
Hails from: Unknown
Bio: Not much is known about Murgatroyd as her garbled pronouncements are completely indecipherable. This is a solid campaign strategy, as many animals assume her views are similar to their own. Mysterious, perplexing and lovable, Murgatroyd could be the underdog of this race.

Name: Daisy
Species: Platypus
Hails from: Sydney, Australia
Bio: An incredibly popular children's TV show host, Daisy is the most adorable platypus ever born. With her cute looks and a tomboyish personality, she is loved by young animals of every species the world over. Capturing the presidency is the only way she can possibly get any bigger.

Name: Floyd
Species: Walrus
Hails from: Manhattan
Bio: Floyd moved to NY to become a dock foreman. But after a blow to the head, he began having some funny ideas about the world. He now sees himself as a guru and soothsayer meant to lead the animal kingdom. After all, he's got a direct line to the cosmic plane.

The debate rages on at www.chimplove.com.

Wait, so is Wideload Pants' next big thing, Hail to the Chimp, Smash Brothers with animals? Brian Crecente

Hail to the Chimp Preview [1Up]

Yes, I'm a child, just ask my wife.

Anywho, Alexander Seropian is beside himself at the thought of having recently unveiled publisher Gamecock putting out his studio's latest pride and joy: Hail to the Chimp.

"We're as happy as a hippo in a henhouse to be a key part of Gamecock's launch," said Wideload founder and CEO Alexander Seropian. "We're working hard to craft an original, fun game, and retaining ownership of the IP is a huge benefit of this partnership. The Gamecock guys have a stellar record in publishing games and treating developers right, and are poised to give the video game business a much-needed kick in the pants."

"Alex and his team have proven that original titles have an impact in this marketplace," said Harry Miller, President and Head of Development for Gamecock Media Group. "This group is not afraid to take a risk or push the limit on originality and humor. Hail to the Chimp is set to carry on their benchmark humorous legacy established by Stubbs the Zombie."

Seropian describes HTC as a party game with players duking it out to become the leader of the Animal Kingdom. See, if it were me I'd say King of the Jungle, but I loves the cliches.

The game supports up to four players either in the same room or online. On the Wideload site the developers promise the game will deliver fun, politics and debauchery, though maybe I'm taking them too literally.

Here at Wideload, we believe that the the only proper response to obsessive existential dread is cheerful indifference - and, in extreme cases, a product announcement. And so we bring you Hail to the Chimp, the game that puts the party back in party politics for the first time since the Caligula Administration. It's coming next year to a next-gen console proximate to you, and the sheer joy it will bring into your life is so unspeakably profound that you may find yourself casting off the shackles of despair and spontaneously evolving into a new life form composed of pure, blinding euphoria. Or you might just find it very entertaining. It's really up to you.

Any game announcement that references Caligula and doesn't mention a horse is all good in my book. Brian Crecente

Critically Acclaimed Developer to Bring Original Party Game to Next-Gen Consoles

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 12, 2007 - Wideload Games, creator of the award-winning Stubbs the Zombie, announced today they have picked Gamecock Media Group to publish their next title - Hail to the Chimp. The title is expected to ship in Spring 2008.

"We're as happy as a hippo in a henhouse to be a key part of Gamecock's launch," said Wideload founder and CEO Alexander Seropian. "We're working hard to craft an original, fun game, and retaining ownership of the IP is a huge benefit of this partnership. The Gamecock guys have a stellar record in publishing games and treating developers right, and are poised to give the video game business a much-needed kick in the pants."

"Alex and his team have proven that original titles have an impact in this marketplace," said Harry Miller, President and Head of Development for Gamecock Media Group. "This group is not afraid to take a risk or push the limit on originality and humor. Hail to the Chimp is set to carry on their benchmark humorous legacy established by Stubbs the Zombie."

Hail to the Chimp is a party game where players battle one another to become the new leader of the Animal Kingdom. Players use the game's unique team-up mechanic, balancing cooperation with competition, to claw their way to victory. The game supports up to four players on one console or online, bringing Wideload's trademark blend of action and comedy to gamers of all ages.

Hail to the Chimp can be found online at www.chimplove.com.

Here's the run down:

Fury: Developed by Auran, Fury is a massively multiplayer "player vs. player" game for PC scheduled to be released for the 2007 holiday season.

Insecticide: Developed by Crackpot Entertainment, Insecticide is a stunning film noir action/adventure game set in a decaying world run by bugs. It will be available for the 2007 holiday season on handheld TBA and PC.

Mushroom Men: Developed by Red Fly Studios, Mushroom Men is an incredibly detailed stylized world where mushrooms have taken on human-like feature and are now embroiled in a civil war. This is slated for a spring 2008 release on a next-gen console and handheld, both TBA.

Hail to the Chimp: Developed by Wideload Games, Hail to the Chimp is an impossible-to-classify party game based on politics in the animal kingdom. The game is scheduled for release in spring 2008 for next-gen consoles TBA.

Hero: Developed by Firefly Studios, Hero is a brutal but comical romp through the "real" world of medieval dungeons. It will be coming to a next-gen console TBA and PC in holiday 2008.

Brian Crecente